MemphisWLS

I've been using GENEPRO for a long time, almost as my sole source, all my labs have been perfect (total Protein, Albumin/Globulin.. Etc). I couldn't find any independent data on the product as well, and have even wrote them. To purify Proteins through column chromatography is nothing new, nor is electrophoresis (I'm a Protein purification scientist) but I really wanted to see some data but to no avail. Maybe they are worried another company will copycat them (understandably) but at least I can go by my labs.
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After reading this thread, I got a little curious and started to do some research. For context, note that I have a PhD in Bioengineering (from a top 10, US institution - will become relevant) and have spent the 15 years of my career as either a drug discovery scientist in 2 large pharma companies or in contract labs that perform independent safety and efficacy testing for pharmaceuticals and medical devices. While I'm not an expert in Protein biochemistry, I do know a bit about bioavailability and biodistribution (and similar topics) - and, as a scientist, am skeptical by nature. So I started to dig and do some research on GENEPRO. Long story short, I found minimal to no scientific evidence of the claims they make - increase in bypass of the intestinal digestive system by 94%, increase in absorbency to 97.8%, etc. The graphs they included were found in the marketing literature from Deerland enzymes - the company that makes Prohydrolase. The clinical data in their "Clinical Studies" section was not related to their specific product (and was incomplete at that). The award for "2015 Life Science Impact Product of the Year" was awarded by the Triangle Business Journal - a local business publication in Research Triangle Park - not a scientific trade publication, society or association. The CEO, "Dr." Parks, received a PhD from Canterbury University (Auckland, NZ). I am not familiar with this degree program or its accreditations, but at best once could consider its scientific rigor suspect. If nothing else, one has to wonder why an entrepreneur in the RTP area of NC - in spitting distance of 3 world-class research universities - needs to go to NZ for education.
All this being said, to be fair we need to recognize that nutritional supplements are not FDA regulated and that none of the companies that manufacture these products are required to substantiate their claims. The take home message is not that their product is junk (there is no data to conclude that it isn't effective) - it's that one needs to be cautious about accepting their assertions wholesale. At a minimum, it's fair to say that they are over-inflating their "data" and lack independent scientific verification.
If you read the fine print on their website, I believe that they are stating that their 30g of Protein is an equivalent value - in simple terms, if their protein version is 3x more "bioavailable" than standard whey protein, ~10g of GENEPRO is equivalent to ~30g of standard whey protein - for whatever that's worth. Personally, I am still planning to use GenePro (my surgery is next week) as it does appear to be easy and tasteless, but to be safe will probably count this as 10-15g of protein and not 30g. Just wanted to share what I learned so everyone could make a slightly more educated decision for themselves!
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My surgeon has done over 6000 surgeries, does not do leak tests and has never had a leak. I know they do check for leaks before the stitch you back up and some doctors do the oral leak test thingy b4 discharge.
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I was really strict with sticking to my food stages post op. And I was religious about getting my 100 grams of Protein per day in as soon as I was physically able. I started more intense exercise (more than just walking) at my two month mark. At that point I had managed to get my calories up to about 1100 a day. I was at about 1400 a day for most of my weight loss stage, exercising 5-6 times a week doing running, biking, and strength training.
I was SUPER strict about getting my Protein in, but not too worried about getting too many carbs or anything. Really, just by getting my 100 grams of protein a day, I found I didn't really have room for many carbs. But if my protein came with some carbs (breading or sauce or whatever) I was fine with that.
I made sure to eat on a schedule and I made sure to never eat and drink at the same time. Those are two ways to circumvent the restriction of the sleeve, so I was pretty careful about them. Not eating on a schedule leads to grazing. Eating and drinking at the same time means you can get more food through your sleeve.

Bufflehead had a lot of great things to say, which is pretty normal.
The rules she gave seem fantastic.
I think that cravings take time to change. It is difficult to change them but remember that you will get there. It will get easier. After surgery I craved taco bell. 9 months out now and I don't.
Exercise - I did find it was easier to add more exercise as I lost weight. Start with where you are, be consistent and keep going. There are a lot of helpful resources for adding exercises or changing up your routine. Also, find omething you enjoy that works with your schedule.
Exercise does help with the weight loss but like Bufflehead said, it is important for general health. Keeping that mindset has helped me during my weight loss stalls.
I hope other vets weigh in because I feel a bit silly adding advice. I'm only 9 months out from rny and still have a lot to learn about keeping the weight off long term.
All the best to you!

@@_bribri1001 I have lost over 200 lbs. I exercised (and still do) 5-6 days per week but honestly it was not for weight loss, it was for overall health. I never counted calories burned or ate extra calories because of exercise. Weight loss happens because of your eating habits, not your exercise habits.
I was incredibly strict with my eating throughout weight loss. I do better when I have rules to follow and don't give myself permission for any variance. My advice -- do not start down the road with "bad" food. Don't buy it, don't eat it, not even a bite here or there. What you can have a bite of now, you can eat a whole package of some months down the road.
My rules (from my bariatric team) for the first six months:
3 meals per day, maximum 3 ounces per meal
No Snacks other than Protein shakes
Maximum 800 calories and 50 carbs per day
Minimum 75 grams of Protein per day
No sweets, no grains, no starchy vegetables, no tropical fruits (bananas, mangos, papayas)
After six months, the rules changed slightly. Meals could be up to 5 oz total, maximum 1100 calories per day, maximum 75 carbs per day, minimum 90 grams of protein per day. Everything else stayed the same.
For me, this program was hardcore but worked perfectly.

My surgeon has done over 6000 surgeries, does not do leak tests and has never had a leak. I know they do check for leaks before the stitch you back up and some doctors do the oral leak test thingy b4 discharge.
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Quick note...it is milk based so if you are lactose intolerant this won't work. Found that out today at costco while Protein Drink shopping. I opted for the muscle milk which is whey based, but less Protein than premier.
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I kept my surgery semi-secret. After the surgery was over, I told my three best friends. Over 3 years later they are still the only people that know. I took a week of vacation from work, but if I had to use medical leave, all you are required to say is that you are having a medical procedure- they can't push you into knowing what it is. In school, I would have the surgery around a break period, unless you take online classes and don't have to be in an actual classroom regularly. Still though, why you are not there is no one's business and unless you have mandatory attendance, there's really no need to tell them anything. If anyone asks, tell them you had a stomach bug and that's why you were gone. You really only need a week to recover physically. I had surgery on Monday, was working in my hospital bed on Tuesday (which I don't advise- I don't even really remember this day very much) and fully back working in my home office for a 12 hour day by Friday. Basically I sit on my butt all day, but even when I went back to an office job the Monday after surgery, I was fine working the entire day. If you have a job that requires lifting or physical activity, then my experience isn't applicable to you, but a basic desk job and classes, you're good to go in a week.
I'm glad I kept my surgery a secret. Consciously I know that no one else's opinion should matter, but to me it did and I knew I wasn't thick-skinned enough to always be the girl that was only thin because she had her stomach cut out. There is no reason you should need to keep your surgery a secret and there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in having surgery, but people are judgey jerks and I just didn't want to deal with them in my business, which I felt would be inevitable.
It is entirely possible to keep your surgery a secret, if you choose to do so, and if not, there are also plenty of benefits of telling others as well.
Good luck!

Incredible. Congrats and thx for the post. Inspiring!!!
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I think we have to be wary of exceptions. If you are planning to get pregnant again, leave about a year after surgery just in case. No one plans for hernias or some complications that may arise as a result of surgery.
In addition, when Pregnant, you are eating for two; many people can't even get enough essential nutrients for themselves in the initial 2-3 months after surgeries like Bypass and sleeve, so you can imagine how risky it might be for a developing foetus.
In life, there are always exceptions, but better safe than sorry.

Vomiting and GERD -- I haven't had any
Pro's and con's -- first time in my life I am at a normal weight, which means my life has changed entirely. No real cons except (1) it's major surgery, so that does mean a period of pain and tiredness after as you recover; and (2) some people find themselves unable to tolerate certain types of food after. I can't/don't eat bread anymore or anything carbonated.
Advice -- you have to be ready and want to build an entirely new relationship with food. Food will no longer be your comfort, your entertainment, your stress relief, your way of celebrating holidays or family. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy it though. You have to be willing to work hard at weight loss and weight maintenance for the rest of your life (I'm deadly serious about that). You have to be willing to accept the possibility that you radically change the kind of food you eat for the rest of your life. Don't kid yourself into thinking this surgery means you eat three bites of pancakes for Breakfast, one mini-cheeseburger for lunch, a Snickers fun bar for a snack, and a twinkie for dinner with a side of a couple french fries. Doesn't work like that. If you are like most of us, those types of foods are either entirely or very largely excised from our lives completely if we want to be successful in losing weight and keeping the weight off.
Small portions for the first month? I didn't have any "portions" for the first month. My plan called for liquids for the first month post-op.
After that I was allowed to move to pureed high Protein foods for four weeks. Portion size there was 1.5 ounces weighed or 3 tablespoons measured. This was more than enough, believe me.
After that I moved to soft foods for four months and my mandated size for each of my three daily meals was 3 ounces. I could rarely eat that much though.
I am now 3.5 years post op and can eat about 5 ounces per meal, depending on what is in the meal. I still focus on high protein, low carb eating in order to maintain my weight loss (over 200 lbs).
I don't know that there are stats or averages for weight loss in the first month. The first month post-op, your body does some insane things trying to recover from the trauma of surgery. Healing and getting used to a new way of relating to food should be your focus in the first month post op, not how fast you are losing. All that said, I would think anywhere from 8 - 25 lbs is a reasonable expectation for first month loss for someone your size. Focus on the lower end of that and if you lose more, let yourself be surprised and happy. Good luck in your decision!

Such a beautiful and honest post. And all the replies are just as beautiful. Thank you all for sharing.
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Haven't been on in a while-- wanted to pop in and wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Typical Italian feast tonight- first, we will do the Seven Fishes, mussels, clams, calamari, white fish, lobster, ahi, shrimp each prepared as a separate dish. Bunch of small sides to go with, including a cheese and vegetable lasagna.
Then off to midnight Mass, and back to my house after for the meat dishes, antipasti, and more Desserts.
I made homemade limoncello about 6 weeks back, so that will be brought out after midnight, as well. People won't leave until 3 am lol.
And tomorrow, we do another whole meal, with roasts and the ravioli we made after thanksgiving that were flash frozen. Crazy times but in our family, that's Christmas.
Amazing how I still have no desire to indulge in things that are not bari- friendly. I'm so grateful for the gift the surgery became in my life. I'm weighing in at a whopping 137 today. The scale moves slooooooowly now, and bounces up and down but I'll take it.
So...to all of you who recognize Christmas, as we say in my family, Buon Natale, ora tutti mangiare, bere, e celebrare la stagione!!! È una bella giornata per accogliere Gesù!
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Before and after. That was an 8 plus ounce pork chop pre cooked, 6.6 cooked. After I finished I weighed the bone and subtracted it, the bone was one ounce. So about 5.5 ounces of pork loin chop. I probably wouldnot normally eat that much but I am short on calories and it is getting late in the day. 4 ounces is about the perfect amount for me but depending on the fat/moisture content I can eat a little more. I'm stuffed right now, so I probably should have stopped at 4.
I just wanted to add that unlike a lot Bariatric patients, I use regular plates and utensils and always have. I wanted to be mindful that I was eating smaller portions and I felt the best way to get that point across to myself was to use regular plates so I could learn what proper portions look like in relation to normal plates. It helps when eating out to Guage when to stop when I do not have scale.

Good morning, BP Campers. Thought I'd stop in for a a quick visit and update. I started my preop diet 3 years ago today. I always consider this my anniversary, rather than the surgery date. Here's a recap of my journey so far.....
Year 1 - the year of losing all of my excess weight (100 pounds), dozens of NSVs, and a new wardrobe. By far, the most exciting year. Even the month of liquids, 6 weeks of diarrhea and 2 insanely painful gallbladder attacks couldn't put a dent in my enthusiasm. It was all so new and fun and easy. Life was great and I was invincible! Year 2 - the year of finding out life still sucks no matter what size you are, losing my best friend to suicide, sinking into a deep hole of depression and finding that I could no longer rely on my old friends.....food, alcohol and cigarettes. Just struggling to get through each day with really no desire to. Two more gallbladder attacks which I finally put an end to with a long overdue cholecystectomy. Despite a complete breakdown of my emotional stability, I was surprisingly able to maintain my weight loss from the 1st year. I held onto the fact that what I put in my mouth was one of the few things I could control at that point. Year 3 - the year of emotional healing (well, at least a start in that direction) with a grief therapist, testosterone replacement and an antidepressant. Finally able to crawl out the darkness into a somewhat bearable existence. My latest breakthrough is I actually said yes when asked out on a date about a month ago. Considering my introvert personality and swearing off relationships almost 20 years ago, this is an extraordinary step for me. We've been out 1/2 dozen times and I'm actually enjoying it. Who knows what Year 4 will bring. But I've definitely come to realize as time goes on, everything has become less and less about surgery and weightloss and more and more about life. I maintain my weight the same way I lost it....80+ grams of Protein, 100+ ounces of Water, low carb, balanced diet including veggies, fruit and whole grains. I pretty much eat whatever I want but I make smart choices when it comes to quantities. No tracking, no measuring, just mindful eating. I am diligent about keeping any regains in check. I've got too much invested, both financially and emotionally to let a 1-2 pound regain turn into 10-20 pounds. I have labs done annually and follow a Vitamin regimen based on the results. I don't have an exercise routine, just a very busy, active life. Bottom line is a successful WLS result is not rocket science. Whatever you had to do to lose weight is pretty much what you need to do forever. If you can't control sliders and trigger foods, they WILL lead to regain. If you don't make the psychological adjustments and permanently change your habits and behaviors, you WILL regain. It's totally up to you whether or not your surgery becomes just another failed diet. Don't be afraid to seek professional help with the mental side of it. I finally did...thank goodness. Good luck to the newbies. Congrats to the veterans.

Hey guys.

I just wanted to thank you all for the helpful links, tips and advice that this forum provided pre and post op. It was thanks to the testimony of many of you that I decided to get the surgery.

I was sleeved on Nov. 7th and as of this day have lost a total of 51.5 lbs (starting weight was 352 and currently 300.5) Cant wait to put off more!

Thanks again!

So now that I've met my goal I wanted to post an updated picture. My high weight was 252....that picture was taken Easter Sunday 2016.....I had surgery May 16, 2016.....and now 7 months and one week later today Dec 23rd....102 pounds gone forever! I've never been happier!!!

I'm only telling my husband and if I didn't need a driver to and from the hospital, I wouldn't have told him. He is cool with me having the surgery (sleeve). This is a very personal mission to me and there's only room for one person in the saddle.
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I went to Mexico and my husband and kids knew and two close friends and mother-in law. We tried to keep from my father- in law because he blows up about everything. But by day 2 he hadn't seen me, they told him. So by time I come home everyone in town knew, people in town, at church ask how I was feeling so I just went with it. If I go back for plastic I'll just get a ad in the paper and announce it. I don't regret going to Mexico.

Just my husband and children know... Then my daughter told her boyfriend, who told his dad. And, well... now, I'm wishing I would not have told anyone other than my husband. I joined a closed support group on FB, but apparently your "friends" can see what closed groups you belong to... and, I was recently confronted by an estranged friend that I belonged to a VSG support group. If you want to keep it a secret, tell no one. People are so judgmental.
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Yayyyyy. I have been praying for you. I got my approval today too. Thank God no drama cos I was ready for them. But it's all good. I have to decide on a date. I am thinking 01/30/17 or 02/13/17. Not sure yet. Too many loose ends to tie up....
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Yayyyyy. I have been praying for you. I got my approval today too. Thank God no drama cos I was ready for them. But it's all good. I have to decide on a date. I am thinking 01/30/17 or 02/13/17. Not sure yet. Too many loose ends to tie up....
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Yes, you've got the right idea. I've been working out for two years straight at this point (wow, right? I've NEVER stuck to it this long!) and I do a combination of cardio (running, Stair Climber) and weights/resistance training. I do 30-40 minutes of cardio, and then switch off days working either legs, arms or abs. I utilize all the things you mentioned: Kettle bells, exercise ball, straps, and weight machines. I will also use my own body for resistance with planks, pull ups, burpees and squats.
I honestly don't kill myself. I will push myself, but I also don't want to hurt myself and not be able to do any exercise at all. Right now in maintenence I work our 3 days a week, and do walking the days I don't go to the gym. The key is mixing things up to create muscle confusion, and raising and lowering your heart rate through out your work outs. Make sure you're doing what you like so you will stick to it! I get bored easily, that's why I do many different things to keep me motivated

It just all depends on how stretched out the area is. If it's been overly stretched due to age and long term obesity, there's no amount of lotions, potions, wraps, Vitamins or strength training that will bring it back or even minimize it.
I'm a perfect example. I'm in my late 40's, yo yo dieted my self to 235, a lot of which I carried in my stomach. I've done well with strength training to minimize the areas I could (arms), but the only way my stomach is ever going back is with surgery. My upper stomach is relatively flat from exercise, but the skin from my pannus area is pretty bad. I have a had a surgical consultation to have it removed, but still on the fence about it. I still look okay in clothes Anyway, see pic below of my arms and my stomach.